Oceans Apart
by xlilyx
Summary: He loves her; she loves him, simple, right? Wrong. One goes to Hogwarts and one transferred to Salem Witches Academy. Can they make an overseas relationship work? Does absence really make the heart grow fonder? next gen fic
1. the hardest thing to say is 'i love you'

Chapter 1: The hardest things to say is 'I love you'

"What!?!" a girl named Laura Hope screamed loud enough to carry around the great hall.

"Laura, what is wrong?" her best friend James Potter asks. Instead of answering him she thrusts the letter into his hands, stands up and runs out of the great hall crying. James watched her blonde hair disappear around the door. He picked up the letter she had given him and quickly scanned it over. "Shit!"

"James, what was up with Laura?" his cousin, Fred, asked him.

"Never mind, I will see you guys later, I think I know where she is." With that he ran out of the great hall after her. The first place he thought of was the Gryffindor common room. Then he realised that she hardly spent time in there when she didn't need to think. She wouldn't go to the room of requirement because she didn't really like it. The lake was too busy and the grounds were just too unhappy in general, especially on a cold day like this. That only left one place.

This particular place happened to be in the forbidden forest. Not all the way in but far enough in so that no one would ever find it. James and Laura had accidentally found it in their second year after being chased by a unicorn. It's not like it was their fault they had stumbled across a baby and wanted to stroke it.

James followed his usual path, half way around the lake until you see a patch of gooseberry trees. Walk to the left of those then keep going until you get to a clearing with a small grassy hill and a lake that looks as though it was made of jewels. Sure enough, sitting on the grass hill and staring into the lake, was Laura. He could tell at one she had been crying and it hurt him to see her beautiful blue eyes so wet and glassy. She rarely cried so this came as a shock to him.

James knew that there was nothing he could say to cheer her up so instead he walked up to her and sat down next to her. Right now she needed a friend, not a councillor. He gently put his arm around her and leaned his head on top of hers. Being a good few inches taller than her he was able to do this. There was nothing going on between James and Laura, they were just the best of friends.

"James, I can't go, I just can't." Laura sobbed into his shoulder.

"Come on, Laura. Moving schools isn't that bad," James said trying to reassure her.

"Not that bad? It wouldn't be that bad if I was staying in England or maybe Europe but America? How am I going to be able to live in America when all my friends are here?" she continued sobbing, James's shirt was getting very wet now. "I mean, I have no siblings coming with me, I have no cousins- I hate being the only child of only children. You are so lucky to have a big family, James." 

"Ahh, you think that now but trust me, if you lived with them you would want to go back to your old life any day," he said trying to lighten the mood. It didn't work.

"You forget one thing, I do live with them. Technically."

"Ha, that's true." He grinned. "Laura, there must be a bright side to this. You always said look on the bright side, what's the bright side?"

"There isn't one as far as I can see."

"Come on, that's not true. For one you don't have to live with my family anymore," he said cheerfully. This only made her cry more.

"Hey, come on. I'm sorry I didn't mean to upset you." She looked at him with her tear stained face. "Okay, Erm… you will make new friends."

"I don't want a new friend. I am quite happy with you and your cousins and Holly."

"Okay, America is hotter than here. You know how you are always complaining about not having a tan." This was not going well, that was his last bright side playing card.

"Yeah, it also has more rain, snow and has a hurricane or tornado every couple of months." _Damn, stop shooting down my bright sides. _

"That's it, I'm done. I have no more bright sides," he says lying back onto the grass, taking Laura with him.

"Told you so. I really don't want to leave tomorrow morning I don't even get to spend the holidays in England. I wish I was 17 now instead of in two months, and then I wouldn't have to go. I don't get why I can't stay at Hogwarts and just go back when I want to," she said bitterly. She would much rather stay in England with the man she loved. The man that just so happens to by lying next to her.

"You just answered your own question. You are not an adult yet. Trust me, I would rather you stay here too but you have to go until you finish school. But, why don't we make your last day of Hogwarts a memorable one?" Laura looked up just in time to see that mischievous glint in his eye that she loved so much.

"What are you planning on?"

"Oh nothing, come on."

"James, where are we going?"

"Forget Friday lessons, I think we deserve a trip to Hogsmede."

* * *

"James, I see a major flaw in this plan," Laura said as they ascended the stairs in the old creaky house called the shrieking shack.

"Oh, and what would that be?" James asked looking out the window.

"A: we are in the most haunted building in Britain and B: Aberforth Dumbledore is always on the lookout for stray kids that are meant to be in lessons right now."

"Okay, this building was never haunted in the first place and who says Aberforth will see us? Do you not remember my dad's invisibility cloak?" He pulled a silvery cloak out of his bag. "Besides, we are going up to the mountains for a picnic. I know a great place with an amazing view."

"Oh, is that where you went every time I couldn't come to Hogsmede with you? The top of a mountain?"

"No, not every time. I just thought that I would make this special for you since you are leaving tomorrow."

Laura smiled. He was so thoughtful sometimes but this is not it and she knows it. That gleam she saw earlier was one that wanted to cause mischief, not take his best mate to the top of a mountain for a picnic. She somehow knew that was why they were here rather than at school. It was to give his cousins time to do something so that she would go out with a bang.

* * *

Laura knew something was going on as soon as she got back to the common room that night. Fred and Scott were edgy and, by the look of it, exited like hell. Holly was acting strange and not looking me in the eye while Charlie (Holly's boyfriend) kept exchanging looks with Scott and couldn't keep the smile off his face. They were all really bad liars, but just to humour them she played along. In her opinion James was the only good liar out of all her friends- then again he has had to be because he spent the whole day with her.

"So, what does everyone have planned for tonight?" Laura asked just to see what lies they could come up with.

"I think you can guess what Charlie and I will be doing," Holly replied. _Yeah, if I didn't know any better I would say making out in a classroom or a broom cupboard. _

"Scott and I are going down to the pitch to play quidditch before the end of term tomorrow because we won't get to play during the holidays. I really hate parents sometimes," Fred mumbled.

"What do you mean?" Laura asked politely. She could tell the last part was true.

"My mum grounded me because I was causing too much trouble at school. Dad couldn't give a damn but mum is really uptight. 'Why can't you be more like Victoire? Why did you have to take after your father and Tiffany?'" Scott did the best impression of his mum James had ever heard, accent and all. "I swear I could murder her if she asks me why I can't be like Victoire one more time! As if she hasn't noticed, I'm not Victoire!"

"Ahh, the joys of being the eldest child!" James said in a mocking way.

"Yeah, you guys are all lucky, you are all the eldest or only and you don't have to put up with three girls." Scott sat back in his chair and started to sulk.

"Cheer up Scott. At least you aren't moving to America with them, never to see anyone again!" Laura had tears coming back into her eyes again.

"Hey, don't cry again. I swear that I will come and visit. If I have to drag the whole family out then so be it." James grinned as Laura laughed slightly.

"I still don't get why dad couldn't get a new job in England. There are plenty at our ministry, why couldn't he work in their accidental magical reversal department? It's just so unfair!"

"Laura, remember what we said this morning? This is your last day; don't waste it by getting upset. Come on, we are putting on the DA tonight, don't worry and come along. Be remembered as the girl who kicked ass." James laughed with Laura.

"No, the girl who kicks your ass every time we have those meetings!"

"Whatever!" he bumped her shoulder in a light friendly gesture.

"I'm going upstairs I will see you guys at the meeting after dinner, see you later," Laura said standing up.

"Bye," everyone replied in unison as she walked towards the girls' staircase.

Once James was sure he was out of sight he turned to Scott. "Is everything ready?"

Scott grinned. "Yep, everything is in place, all you have to do is get her there."

James smiled and sat back.

"James, can I ask you something?" Holly asked.

"You just did."

Holly shot him a ha-ha-very-funny look before continuing. "When are you going to tell Laura you love her?"

James immediately snapped his attention to Holly. "I don't know what you mean," he said feeling a little uncomfortable.

Holly rolled her eyes at him. "Yes you do. James, it is obvious that you feel more than friendship for her, you have arranged a whole fun party tonight and you are constantly around her. Its obvious so why don't you tell her how you feel?"

"Well, now isn't exactly the right time. Besides, we are all leaving tomorrow for the holidays and she is never coming back! If I told her then I wouldn't be able to cope."

Holly smiled before exclaiming, "Ha, you do love her! I knew it!" James rolled his eyes at her as if to say, 'yeah, that isn't helpful!' "But this is what I am saying, it is the right time and as you said she is leaving tomorrow. Would you rather have one night with her knowing how she feels about you or go your whole life not knowing?"

"I hate that you are so perceptive!"

"No you don't, you love me."

"But not as much as Laura!" Fred said laughing.

James gave an annoyed growl before retreating to the boys' dormitories. Yes, he did love Laura but now she is leaving he couldn't cope with the rejection as well as her leaving to America.

* * *

"James, are you coming to dinner?" Fred asked almost two hours later. Now the guys were sitting down in the common room playing various games. Well, Scott and Fred were, James was just staring into the fire trying to find out whether he should tell Laura about his feelings. Finally after debating with himself for an hour he had come to a conclusion; he has to know.

"No, I need to talk to Laura and check on things, you go ahead."

"Okay, see you later mate. Good luck," he said with a smile before disappearing out the portrait hole.

"Thanks," James muttered to himself.

Just then Laura came and sat beside him in front of the couch on the floor.

"Hey, you not going to dinner?" she asked James.

"No, I'm thinking instead."

"What about? You should be care free, Christmas holidays coming up. You get to have a fun time in the snow with your cousins," she said bitterly.

"Care free? I'm never care free. Listen, can we go for a walk? Unless you want to go and have some dinner," he said nervously. He was going to have to tell her at some point. It was no use doing it tomorrow when he would never see her again, he had to know now.

"No, I will go for a walk. Give me a second to grab my coat."

James just nodded and watched her disappear with her blond hair swishing behind her as she climbed the stairs. James sighed as he thought that he might never see her again and they might never stay in touch with each other. As soon as she goes to America she will make new friends and might forget all about the people she left behind. 'No!' James thought. 'I can't let that happen!'

A minute later Laura came rushing back downstairs with her muggle winter coat on.

"I though you said you would be a second?" James said playfully. Laura laughed.

"Come on, let's go."

James smiled and led the way out of the portrait hole. They walked in silence through the castle and all the way up to the lake. It felt weird not talking to each other, normally neither would shut up long enough to let the other talk.

"Laura?"

"Umm?"

"Er, listen I have to ask you something. I know that you are leaving and all tomorrow and we will probably never see each other again. Which, after I ask you this it probably won't be a bad thing…" he rambled.

Laura giggled. "James, you are not making any sense whatsoever."

"Right, what I'm trying to say is…" he took a deep breath to steady himself. "Do you want to go to dinner?" 'Damn! Why couldn't I just say it?'

Laura gave James a curious look. "Dinner? Somehow I don't think that is what you wanted to tell me…"

"No, it wasn't." he sighed again. "I just don't seem to be able to get the words out. I guess I should just show you instead."

Laura gave him another curious look. This was not how James behaved… ever. He was usually so confident and sometimes a little cocky. But never nervous or scared. She was starting to worry about him.

"James what-"

She was cut off by James suddenly bringing his face closer to hers and kissing her sweetly on the lips. It was a very slow, sweet kiss but in her mind it was too short. Far too short.

"I'm sorry… I shouldn't have… oh god what have I done? It was not supposed to happen like that!" he rambled, not making full sentences.

"James… James…JAMES!" Laura was beyond confused now. What on earth was going on?

"What?" he practically shouted, his back still turned to her.

She ran to him and put a hand on his shoulder. She slowly turned him around and looked into his eyes. What she saw she did not expect. It was love, pure love and a little bit of… fear? What was he afraid of?

"James, what is going on?"

"I love you god damn it! There I said it I love you. Shit! Why can't I keep my tongue under control?" he was rambling again.

"James!" She grabbed his hand to stop him from running off. She looked at him again but he didn't seem to want to meet her eyes. "James, you have no idea how long I have been waiting to hear those words come out of your mouth." He looked back up at her with a questioning look. She smiled and whispered. "I love you too."

He smiled as she brought her lips back to his. They stood for several moments in a sweet kiss before Laura started to run her hand through his messy black hair and deepen their kiss. James mirrored her actions and backed her against the tree they were stood in front. She winced slightly as her back hit it. James noticed and stopped kissing her.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you."

"I'm okay; maybe we should take this somewhere a little more private, it looks like dinner has finished," she replied nodding towards the castle entrance. There were a few students going for a walk before curfew.

"Sure, how about the astronomy tower?"

"James… how many times have you been up there to make out?" she asked curiously.

"Who said I ever have?"

Laura thought for a moment. He had a point he had never told her about any of this before. "Have you?"

"That, Laura, is for me to know and for you to find out."

Laura smiled. "In other words, no."

* * *

**_i know i shouldnt have started any new stories considering i already have like fourteen unfinished ones but trust me they are getting written :) _**

**_anyway, this is the first chapter and i know that things are going a bit fast but they need to be because this is not my story its just more of an introduction to it all so you will have to bare with me on that :) i decided to post this because i already have the first three chapters done and i will post the next one soon :)_**

**_in the mean time could you review me and tell me what you think?_**


	2. the hardest thing to say is 'goodbye'

Chapter 2: the hardest thing to say is goodbye.

Laura and James were both sat on the window ledge in the astronomy tower. Looking out at the stars.

"James, what time is it?" Laura asked.

"Almost seven why?" he replied in a tired tone.

"Weren't we meant to be at The DA meeting?" James looked at her in confusion for a moment before realising the decoy.

"Oh, bugger, yeah! Come on, lets get going," he said standing up and holding his hand out to her.

Laura giggled and took it before jumping down herself. They walked hand in hand down the stairs and down to the seventh floor corridor. James stopped outside the tapestry of what's his name that tries to teach trolls how to dance. After pacing three times he gestures to the door that appeared.

Laura smiled and opened it. As soon as she stepped in she was almost knocked over due to all the people welcoming her and trying to pass her a drink. She looked around the room and saw people from every house that wanted to wish her good luck in her new school (that's what the banner said anyway). There was loud music booming out from the speakers and a dance floor in the middle of the room.

"Do you like it? I thought you deserved to go out with a bang," someone whispered in her ear.

"I think you have a brilliant mind, James. I certainly will go out with a bang." She giggled.

"That's what you get for being friends with a Potter, nothing is quiet. Drink up and have fun," he said handing her a bottle of firewhisky.

Laura did just that. She found Holly on the dance floor and went to join her. James walked over to Fred and Scott.

"So, how did it go?" Fred asked with a smile on his face.

"Awful," James replied honestly.

"Aww, mate, she didn't reject you did she?" Scott asked sympathetically.

"What? No! Actually, quite the opposite, I just made a fool out of myself telling her. Somehow I don't think screaming at her was the best thing to do. I actually think I scared her!" Fred and Scott burst out laughing hysterically. "Guys, it's not funny!"

"Sorry… James… its just… that is totally what I would… imagine you… doing," Fred managed to say between laughs.

James shot them a dark look before grabbing a bottle of firewhisky from the refreshments table and going to join Holly and Laura on the dance floor.

* * *

Several drinks and many dances later led them to around midnight. Most of the students were now going back to their common rooms too sleep off the alcohol. Now the only people that were left were very drunken Scott, Fred, Holly, Charlie, Leah (Scott's latest one night pick-up), James and Laura. 

"guys, I really think that you should all go to the common room and to bed," James said concerned for his drunken cousins. "Scott, if you're going to go at it at least have the decency to cast a silencing charm first this time," he added in a whisper to Scott. Fred heard too and started giggling uncontrollably. "Charlie, Leah and Holly, help these back to the dorms will you?"

"Sure, I could use some sleep," Charlie said grabbing Fred's arm and putting it around his shoulders while Holly and Leah took hold of Scott. They made their way out of the room.

"That just leaves us then," James said brightly. Laura, however, was not so keen to leave and it showed. "What's wrong?"

"James, I just don't want this to end. I have had the best thing in the world for the shortest time I could have imagined. Now I have to leave it all behind and go to America." Laura sighed. "Do you think you could keep me company for a while? I don't fancy going back to the dorms."

"Sure, lets just change the room into something a little more… comfortable," he said looking around at the hard floors and bottles strewn everywhere.

Laura nodded and led James out the room. After pacing three times she opened the door again to reveal a beautiful and much cosier room. It had a large, soft sofa on one side with a fire in front of it and a big king size bed on the other side as well as a door that led to a bathroom.

James eyed the bed suspiciously. "Not planning on going back to the dorm?"

"Nope, I just want to sleep somewhere that I can relax instead of worry about never seeing my bed again." Laura walked over to the sofa and sat down on it. she motioned for James to join her. James cast one more look around the room before sitting on the sofa with Laura next to the nice warm fire.

"James?"

"Umm?"

"why did you tell me you loved me? I mean why now? What changed?" she asked quietly.

"nothing changed, Laura. I have loved you for a while now. I guess I was just scared to ruin our friendship if I did anything stupid. Also, I think that I just needed a big shock to get myself into gear," James replied thoughtfully while absent mindedly playing with her hair.

"Like the fact that you may never see me again?" Laura asked bitterly. Something James didn't fail to catch.

"Yeah, I guess."

They sat in silence for another few minutes. Laura stared into the fire whishing with all her might that time would just stop and tomorrow morning would never have to come.

"Laura?" James whispered in her ear. The closeness of their faces startled her for a moment.

She turned around and began to kiss him on the lips. Automatically her arms went around his neck as they deepened the kiss. One of his hands found its way up her t-shirt and was slowly inching up higher. Laura stood up and led him over to the bed, where they fell onto it still not breaking their kiss. When he seemed to realise where he was James abruptly stopped. Laura looked at him slightly confused.

"Laura, is this really what you want? I mean I know that you have beliefs about this," he asked gently. He didn't want her to do something she would regret in the morning.

"Yes, to wait for the right guy. You are that guy James… please, I want this."

No other words were necessary.

* * *

The next morning Laura woke to sun streaming through the made windows onto her face. For some reason she felt colder than usual. Then she realised why… she was not wearing anything. She looked around the room and realised that she wasn't in her own dorm. In fact she had no idea where she was. She looked to her left to see her best friend (or boyfriend? She wasn't sure) lying next to her in the same state she was.

After a few moments of gazing at him all the memories from the night before came flooding back to her. The party, the drinking, the kissing, and the sex.

_Oh bugger! _She thought. It took her a few seconds to realise that she didn't regret it at all. Actually, she was quite happy.

Just then James started to stir. He rolled over and draped his arm around her in semi-consciousness. Once his arm made contact with her waist his eyes snapped open. He sat up abruptly and looked round at Laura. He then looked back at himself and back at her. He repeated this several times before swallowing loudly.

"Did we, er… I mean…" he stuttered. Laura almost laughed.

"Yes, we did. Or at least that would be my guess as we are both naked and in the same bed." She giggled. "Don't you remember?"

"Yeah, I remember alright. I just thought that it was a dream," he said looking around the room.

Laura gave him a curious look before taking one of the sheets off the bed and wrapping it around her. She then went clothes hunting. Thankfully, they weren't too hard to find. She then walked into the bathroom that joined onto the room.

When she emerged again, fully dressed this time, she saw that James had also gotten dressed and was now sat on the sofa staring into the empty fire grate.

"You know you could just light it with your wand instead of trying to will it to light itself," she said walking up behind him.

James looked around before staring back at the fire grate. "I was just thinking."

"About what?"

"Last night," he replied absent mindedly.

"You don't, regret it do you?" Laura asked beginning to feel uneasy.

"What? No, nothing like that. Its just… strange I guess," James answered.

"How so?" Laura asked. She was beginning to worry about him.

"We have been friends since we were six when our parents met in diagon ally. Ten years on we have become close and I realised my feelings for you and we did… that. Now it's strange to think about how much we have been through together just to have it all…" James trailed off not wanting to think about it.

"Die," Laura finished. "Look, James, can we not talk about this right now? I have a little over four hours left with you and I don't want to spend them thinking about this. Can we just make the most of it?"

"Sure, did you pack?" James asked.

"Yeah, right after we got back from Hogsmede." Laura remembered that glorious afternoon spent without a care in the world for a few hours.

"Right before I screamed 'I love you' down by the lake," James said laughing. Laura laughed too but it was only a half hearted laugh. She wasn't in the mood to laugh. No matter how much she tried not to think about it she couldn't stop the sinking feeling in her stomach as she knew how much she would miss him.

She laid one hand on his chest and lowered her head to lie next to it.

"James, what time is it?"

"Er, half past ten, why?" he replied.

"Shit! The train leave in half an hour!" she said jumping up and running over to the door.

"So?"

"So, we need to grab out bags and get to the station. I also don't want to draw attention to ourselves by wearing the same clothes as last night so I need to get changed. You coming?" she asked opening the door. James just nodded and followed her out the door and to Gryffindor tower.

As soon as they were through the portrait hole they were jumped by their friends.

"There you are, we ere getting worried!"

"Where have you been?"

"What have you been doing?"

"Why didn't you come back last night?"

"We thought you had gone or something!"

Laura was beginning to get an awful headache from her friends.

"Guys, shut up!" she shouted over them. Immediately they all fell silent sensing Laura's growing annoyance. "Yes, James and I are back. I can't believe you thought we were gone, gone where exactly? The thought of running away never even occurred to me! As for what we have been doing I rather think that is none of your business but if you are smart you may work it out!" with that she stalked upstairs leaving James and the others to stare at her open mouthed.

_They just had to do it! Why did they have to make the worst day of my life worse! _She thought. However, she couldn't stay angry at them because she knew that she would probably never see them again.

She blinked a few times to stop the tears in her eyes rolling down her cheeks and checked that she had everything. She checked under her bed, in her draws, even in her bed. She then saw something sticking out from under her pillow. It was a picture of her and James when they were eleven years old. That was the day they had started Hogwarts together. The picture showed them in their Gryffindor robes laughing together and James taking the clip out of her hair then herself getting mad at him and punching him in the arm. He then gave her back the clip and they started laughing again.

Laura sat on the bed looking at the picture for several minutes before putting it in her pocket, grabbing her trunk and running down the stairs. She saw all of her friends there waiting for her. She walked over to them putting on a brave face as she went. Without saying anything they all walked out of the portrait hole and down to the grounds where they hopped onto one of the carriages to take them to the train station.

When they got to the carriages Laura noticed someone missing.

"Where is James?"

"He went ahead… He said that he had something to do," Fred replied. Laura noticed he looked a bit edgy. "Listen, Laura, we're sorry about earlier-"

"Don't worry about it, Fred. I know I have been a bit… emotionally unstable the past couple of days and I don't blame you for being worried. Can we just call a truce and not think about this now?" Laura said. Everyone nodded and jumped off the carriage as they came to a stop.

Scott looked around for a compartment and spotted James in the one next to the end. They all made their way to it and got in. they put their luggage on the shelf above their heads and sat down.

James cast a meaningful look at Laura as if to say 'are you okay?' Laura nodded in response.

The train ride home was uneventful. The boys talked about quidditch while playing exploding snap while Holly and Laura watched. After a while the compartment door opened.

"Ahh, if it isn't Potter and his little weasels. So, Laura, looking forward to going to the states? I would think it would be a relief to get away from these idiots."

James stood up and walked over to the boy who had spoken.

"Malfoy, why don't you just crawl back under your rock?"

The boy just smirked. "What, no curses?"

James's hand twitched towards the pocket his wand was in but didn't take it out.

"Malfoy, you know that I made a promise to Rose not to curse you. But I do hope you realise that you just insulted a whole room of her cousins, I wonder how long it will be before she breaks up with you after I tell her. Family comes before everything with her." James gave a satisfied smirk to Malfoy

"James, leave it he isn't worth it!" Scott said giving him a glare.

James just smiled at Scott before taking out his wand and shouting the curse his mother was famous for. Scorpius ran back down the corridor trying to swat off bat bogeys.

Fred and Scott started laughing and gave James hi-fives just as the train came to a stop.

Everyone stood up and got their luggage from the rack before giving Laura hugs.

"We will all miss you, honey," Holly said.

"Too true," Fred and Scott said at the same time giving her a hug together.

"Good luck, Laura," Charlie said.

"Thanks guys. Promise me you will write," Laura returned.

"Promise," they said in unison causing them all to burst out laughing. They then all made their way out of the compartment. Laura was about to follow when James called her.

"Laura, wait, I want to give you something."

Laura turned around curiously. James closed the door and faced her nervously.

"I, er… I thought that you might like something, like a leaving present-"

"James you didn't have to," Laura said.

"No, I wanted to. Just something to remember all the good times I guess. I just want you to promise me something."

"Anything."

James smiled. "Don't open it until you are in America." Laura nodded curiously. James gave her a square shaped package.

"I guess this is goodbye then," she said.

"No, don't make me say goodbye. Goodbye means that you are gone for good and I don't want that. I think that this is see you later." Laura smiled and gave him a kiss. James wrapped his arms around her and gave her a hug. He never wanted to let her go. Ever.

Laura broke away and ran out the compartment before James could see her crying. James ran after her and caught her just as she made it onto the platform.

"Laura, write to me, please?" Laura just nodded and tried to get away again. James was having none of it and pulled her into his arms again. Laura reached up and kissed him again. After a moment that seemed to last forever she pulled away and ran away into the crowd.

James stared after her letting a tear slip down his cheek. He felt someone's hand on his shoulder and looked around to see his father.

"You really care about her, huh?" he said with a solemn look on his face. James just nodded and stared after her again. "C'mon, James lets go home."

James stood there for a few more moments before following his dad to the car.

* * *

Laura turned around after walking a few paces to see James still staring after her. She put her hands in her pockets and felt something in her right pocket. She pulled it out to see the picture of her and James. She looked back at James to see that his father had now joined him.

_Screw this! I have to say goodbye properly. _

Laura left her trunk with her mother who had now joined her. She ran through the crowd and saw that James was now following his father towards the barrier. She ran faster and once she was within a few feet shouted to him.

"James! James, wait!"

James turned around to see Laura running towards him. Once she reached him she threw her arms around him and kissed him passionately. She didn't care that both their families were watching, she couldn't leave like that. Once she broke away she reached into her pocket and took out the photo of them.

"Just a little reminder, I will write as soon as I get there. See you soon, James," she said softly.

"See you soon, Laura," he replied stunned. Laura smiled and walked back to her shocked parents. James turned back to his parents to see very amused looks on their faces. "What?"

"We knew that there must have been something between you from how upset you were, but that was… wow," Ginny replied. James nodded and looked down at the photo of them in first year. He smiled to himself before walking through the barrier.

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hey, another long chapter :) but i actually split it up because originally these two chapters were one but it was too long : hope you are enjoying the story but this is where it actually starts now that she has gone :(

in the mean time REVIEW!!!!


	3. PS i love you

Chapter 3: P.S. I love you

Laura was not happy. Thirteen hours ago she had kissed James on platform 9 ¾ and she had been incredibly happy until the reality set in once she got to London's airport. Now she was sat in the car her parents had rented until theirs came in the morning. All she could do was think about James and the other people she had left behind. She wished she was still back in England. Its not that she hated America, she actually loved to go there on holiday, but that was the problem… this wasn't a holiday, this was her new life. A life she knew she wasn't going to be happy in. 

She sighed as they pulled into the drive of a big house with a perfectly kept lawn and swimming pool just visible in the back garden. She dragged herself out of the car moodily and walked up to the white door.

_This is it… this is my new hell. _

She stepped inside the house and looked around at the bare furniture in a couple of the rooms before walking upstairs with her mother.

"This is your room, sweetie," she said opening the first door she came to on the right.

The room was almost twice as big as her old one but that didn't matter to her, it didn't feel like home. In one corner was a double bed that looked lost in the large room. Next to it was a bedside table and on the other side of the room was a desk and wardrobe.

"We are going to redecorate over Christmas so that it will look more like your old room." Laura just nodded and walked over to her bed before collapsing on it.

_I am never going to get used to this… _

A few moments later her father brought up her school trunk and some boxes of belongings that she didn't take to Hogwarts.

"Honey, tea will be ready in ten minutes," he said gently. When she didn't reply he sighed and sat down on her bed. "Laura, I understand that a new school and a new country is going to be overwhelming for you but can you please at least try to make an effort?" Laura remained silent. He sighed again and walked out of her room.

_Why do my parents think they know everything when they don't? It's not just that, I have left everyone I ever knew and loved back there… I have no idea how to handle the massive gaping hole in my heart. _

_I wish I had something to keep with me…_ she thought. Then she remembered something… James had given her something on the train! She leapt off her bed and opened her school trunk. She took out the square package from the top and sat back down on her bed.

She ripped the paper off to find a beautifully made photo album. On the front was a picture of her and James on her sixteenth birthday and underneath it were the words, _little book of memories. _She opened the front cover to see James's neat handwriting.

_'Laura, this is a book for all the happy memories we had, not just us but Scott, Fred, Holly and Charlie too. I hope you enjoy it and treasure the memories forever. See you soon, James. P.S. I love you.' _

Laura read the passage over several times, each time bringing more tears to her eyes. She turned the page and saw that the photos started when they were around seven and, flipping forward to the last photo, finished when they were kissing each other at the party last night. _How did he get a picture of that?_

She flipped back to the first picture and looked at it. She noticed that James's arm was in a sling in this picture. _Oh, that must have been when I pushed him off the climbing frame at the park and he broke his arm! Oops. _She smiled at the memory of that, even though she had been very upset and worried at the time.

She flipped through the next few pages. The pictures went from when they were seven all the way up to James's tenth birthday, all the pictures had a little bit of writing on it to say where and when it was taken. She remembered the times when they went on holiday together to Spain, when she had punched James because he dropped her doll in the pond and the various birthdays they had. She loved those times, she was carefree and had plenty of friends and wasn't scared of anything. Now it was a completely different story.

"Laura, tea is ready!" her mum shouted up the stairs.

"Okay," she said reluctantly leaving the book on her bed and walking down the stairs to eat the takeaway they had bought from the Chinese down the road.

They mostly ate the meal in silence with her parents making a little bit of small talk. Laura ate as fast as she could so that she could go back upstairs and continue to look at the photo album James had given her. After she had finished eating and ran back upstairs she sat down on her bed and began to look through the photos again.

After around forty five minutes of fun filled memories and photos she reached the end of them. On the page opposite was James's writing again.

_Hey, again, that's it from us for now but if you have noticed there are more pages left to be filled. This is for you to add anymore memories we make or you and your new friends. Good luck, love, I promise I will write. Now turn to the back page to find your early Christmas present. P.S I love you. _

Laura quickly turned to the back page to find a beautiful white gold chain taped to the page. Dangling from it was a heart shaped charm with a small diamond inset into it. She carefully took it off to get a better look at it. On the other side was an inscription:

_I love you_

She unclasped it and put it around her neck. She tried not to cry, she didn't want to cry. She needed to stay strong in order to make it through the day. Instead she made her way to her trunk and found out a piece of parchment and a quill. She sat down at the desk and began writing her letter to James.

_James, _

_ Thankyou so much for my 'little book of memories' it certainly held a lot of good memories. Especially from last night. What I want to know is how on earth did you find all those pictures? It must have taken you more than a few hours… did you by any chance start making it before you found out about me leaving? _

_I also want to thankyou for the necklace. It is beautiful and I really appreciate this James, I really do. I have only been in _ _America__ for a few hours and already I am missing you more than you could ever imagine. I wish that we could have had longer together. I also wish that you were here right now. And everyone else, of course, but especially you. _

_I know that this letter probably won't reach you for a few days; by then it will almost be Christmas. So, merry Christmas and a happy new year. I hope you have a good one. Say hi to Scott and Fred and everyone. Smiles all around. _

_See you James xxx _

_P.S. I love you too _

Laura folded up the letter and gave it to her owl that had just woken up.

"Hey, snowy, can you deliver this back to England to James for me?" the owl nodded and allowed Laura to tie the letter its leg. She carried it over to the window and let it fly away into the darkening sky.

Laura watched her go until she was nothing but a tiny speck in the distance. She then walked back to her bed and collapsed on it. Within two minutes she was fast asleep.

* * *

James went straight upstairs when he got home. He couldn't stop thinking about the way Laura had kissed him. It was so passionate yet gentle; she was saying goodbye in a more intimate way. James had not complained once but now he craved for more. He loved her so much and it hurt him to see her so defeated. He wanted to hold her in his arms again, to kiss her again, to make love to her again. That one night was the best of his life and he had never wanted it to end. Yet, here he was lying on his own bed at home remembering what a wonderful night it was.

He took the photo she had given him out of his pocket and wondered when she would see her photo album. He knew that it wouldn't be tonight as she wouldn't even be in America until around five/ six o'clock in the morning. He watched the photo play itself and smiled at the memory of them together when they were eleven. Even back then Laura had an anger management problem. It wasn't that she was violent she just had a problem keeping her temper under control.

James set the picture on his bedside next to one of them and the rest of their friends on Laura's 16th birthday. They were all so care free then, there was nothing to worry about, apart from the OWLs.

_Stop it James! Stop it! It's not like you will never see her again. You will!_ He thought trying to convince himself. At that moment he vowed that he would never loose contact with her. He vowed that they would be together some day.

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AN: hey again :) what did you think good, bad? please review ;


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